M&S fundraisers sing, bake and cycle for Bluebell Wood

Marks and Spencer in Doncaster have raised over a staggering £1,600 for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, after turning their hand to everything from bag packing to Tough Mudder.

The store, which is based on Wheatley Hall Road, has been fundraising for Bluebell Wood ever since the Doncaster store opened in May 2015. Bernadette Barkham, Store Manager, said that Marks and Spencer has always been committed to helping local charities, and that choosing to support Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice was very much a team decision: “With the store being so new, we really wanted our staff to feel involved in the decision-making process. We took a whole team vote and Bluebell Wood came out the clear winner.”

M&S staff came up with all sorts of fundraising initiatives to capture the imagination of shoppers, including an in-store cycle challenge and bake sale, as well as an incredibly popular Christmas carolling event, which really got customers into the holiday spirit.

Bernadette added: “It was really important for us to help a charity like Bluebell Wood, which has such a positive influence in the local community, and by supporting their work we felt we were making a real difference to people’s lives.”

Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, based in North Anston, supports children and young adults with life-shortening conditions. They provide a range of services for children and their families, including short breaks, day care, and end of life care. The charity needs to raise over £4m every year to keep its doors open but receives less than 10% government funding.

Melanie Rose, community fundraiser at Bluebell Wood said: “Our supporters are incredibly important to us, and we’re thrilled that M&S Doncaster chose to support us with some really fun events. We are incredibly grateful to the staff and customers at M&S and their donation will help us to continue to make special memories for the children and families we care for.”